GIRLS ON ICE - CASCADES

explore mount baker

Girls on Ice Cascades is our longest running expedition. Since 1999, teams of 8-9 girls and 3 instructors have hiked in the Cascade mountain range where they design science experiments, connect with their beautiful surroundings through art, and bond together as a team. On this expedition, the team camps on a glacier atop an active volcano!

Applications for Girls on Ice Cascades will be considered in tandem with those for the other Girls on Ice expeditions, so that the most diverse teams of girls can be selected for each expedition.

itinerary

Each year the day to day details of the expedition change due to weather and glacier conditions!

The basic itinerary:

Day 1: Meet the team, learn about glacier gear, and camp out at a farm near Mt. Baker.

Day 2: Drive to the vicinity of Mt. Baker and get comfortable with pack and boots by enjoying a short day hike.

Day 3: Hike to basecamp at 6000 ft on Mt. Baker and set up our home for the week.

Days 4-9: Explore the glacier, the surrounding alpine meadows, and the upper mountain, while doing fun science experiments.

Days 10-11: Hike out and travel back to the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Wrap up science, art, and reflection activities.

Day 12: Enjoy a final morning of activities together before heading home.

Photos

Testimonials

"This last summer (summer of 2008) I went on a life-changing journey called Girls on Ice. The Girls on Ice program was an inspirational and eye-opening experience that my 16 year old self was lucky to be a part of! From mountaineering and glaciology to self endurance and team work, the lessons I learned and the memories I have made are unforgettable. I not only learned how to walk on glaciers, rescue myself from crevasses, climb on ice with crampons, and summit a mountain but I also learned how far I could push myself in different and extreme situations. The leaders of the program were perfectly fit for their roles and inspired me to push myself and follow my dreams. I not only ended the program with a head full of knowledge and experience but with 8 new friendships!!! Whenever I am asked about this program I have nothing but remarkable comments and memories to share with them!"

Laura Andrich, Girls on Ice Cascades (2008)

"After viewing them through a scientist’s lens, I now realize the glaciers’ significance to biological communities, how much there still is to discover about them, and how important it is to preserve these natural wonders. For me, this is only the tip of the iceberg. As I continue to pursue my passion for science, I hope to instill in others a commitment to environmental conservation and the will to explore."

Meixi Wang, Girls on Ice Cascades 2011

"Girls On Ice is by far the single most amazing experience I have had in my life. After all, how many people can say that they summited a mountain at the age of sixteen? I took so many things away from the program, from an insider’s look into field research to a communion with our environment to great and everlasting friendships. My instructors were wonderful mentors and all around awesome women who I look up to and admire–they taught us girls so much and gave us confidence in ourselves as strong and adventurous young women. Truly, this program is a once in a lifetime opportunity, one which Dr. Pettit has worked very hard to see continued so that other girls in the future will have the same unique experience as I had. I will never forget the time I spent as a girl on ice!"

Hillary Seybold, Girls on Ice (2008)

"Girls on Ice was an amazing experience. It really changed a lot of our lives. We learned so much and had so much fun. To this day I still tell stories from that trip. If it’s something you are even thinking about trying, you should do it. You won’t regret it."

Amy Cox, Girls on Ice Cascades (2002)

"If there ever is an experience that I shall remember, it will be Girls On Ice. Growing up with two mountaineers for parents, I had become familiar with the North Cascades through camping and hiking trips with my family, but never had I gotten a chance to get quite as intimate with the rugged and often misunderstood landscape of those mountains as with Girls On Ice."

Kelsi Franzen, Girls on Ice (2002)

"At some point or another, nearly everyone has heard talk of the fabled “once-in-a-lifetime opportunities” and the ever-elusive “life-changing experience.” At the age of 16, I was naive enough to believe mine was a long way off…but that was before I was accepted into Girls on Ice 2006."

Kelsi Kruger, Girls on Ice Cascades (2006)

"Girls on Ice was the experience that I always reference as my first exposure to real science and the spark for my interest in field work. Being able to work among a supportive and inspirational group of women was the most wonderful experience and still motivates me to this day! GOI gave me the confidence and inspired me to seek out so many field research opportunities and allowed me to live a life that my colleagues could only dream about…and it was probably one of the most fun weeks of my life!"

Lauren Carter, Girls on Ice Cascades (2001)

"I gained an extraordinary amount from Girls on Ice. Not many people my age can say that they climbed on a glacier (or experimented on it!), but I can. I learned so much about Mt. Baker and I gained a lot of confidence along the way. Those eight day also began a journey to better health for me. They were pretty physically challenging at times, which helped me quickly develop some physical perseverance. Participating in GOI was the first time that I ever really voluntarily stepped out of my comfort level. The entire experience just helped me gain more confidence. It’s difficult to pinpoint certain things that it changed in me. I can just say that I grew tremendously."

Annie Reisenber, Girls on Ice Cascades (2006)

"Thank you for changing my life with Girls on Ice! It helped me find out that I am a scientist. Tell this year’s girls for me that there are a lot of amazing opportunities in the science world and Girls on Ice is the best place to start.” – Annie, Girls on Ice Cascades (2009)

"Being a part of Girls on Ice enabled me to develop a curiosity in the geosciences, an ability to communicate science, as well as confidence in working outdoors. Because of Girls on Ice, I went into college knowing that I wanted to pursue the geosciences and have subsequently continued on to seek out further research opportunities."

Anny, Girls on Ice - Cascades (2011)

"I had chosen to attend GOI because I was looking for something different and I found it. GOI was nothing I expected but everything I could have wanted; it provided the exact environment I needed to begin to question how I wanted to live my life, what impact I wanted to have on the people around me, and how I would go about doing that. The guidance I gained in those short two weeks has stayed with me in a way I believe has shifted the direction of my life.Girls On Ice inspired me and for that I will be forever grateful."

Jasmin, Girls on Ice - Alaska 2015

"The weeklong exposure to the wilderness supported by a diverse group of women taught me the balance between self-reliance, confidence, and how to place greater trust in a team."

Deborah, Girls on Ice - Alaska (2014)

"Girls on Ice was one of the most amazing experiences I have EVER participated in. I learned to challenge myself and really push my limits in accomplishing what seemed to be impossible. One of my most memorable times of the trip was when I reached the summit! Sharing time with everyone on the glacier was a sublime experience that made me more aware of how beautiful nature is and how we need to preserve it! I wouldn’t trade my time I spend with GOI for anything in the world!"

- Angelica, Lemon Grove, California

"Girls on ice instilled an intellectual curiosity in me that I had not experienced since early adolescence. Being trapped in the North Cascades gave me a unique opportunity to set goals for myself and have the confidence to live by them and push myself as a mountaineer, scientist, and young woman."

- Annie, Girls on Ice - Cascades (2009)

"The program Girls on Ice changed my life. My life was difficult before I left my home. When I came back I quit my old lifestyle. I learned that I could do anything I never thought I could do. Once you experience it, it will change your life."

- Marie, Kasigluk, Alaska

"Overall this was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. I learned so much about climate and the nature around me and also about the people around me. Never in my life would I think I’d be on a glacier and on a mountain especially coming from a city where there are no trees and no vegetation. I learned so much about myself and I felt like I gained so much from this!! I’m more confident and more of a leader."

History

Started by Erin Pettit in 1999, Girls on Ice Cascades is our longest running expedition. Erin created this expedition while a graduate student at the University of Washington because she wanted to share her love of science and the outdoors with younger women. She also served as a mentor to them, helping them push their boundaries, and giving them the support they needed. Today, Erin still leads expeditions and serves as a mentor, and her idea has spread within this organization into the creation of new programs that aspire to the same goals that Girls on Ice Cascades aspired to in 1999.

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Eligibility

You must be 16 or 17 on June 1, 2018.

We accept applications from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and countries not identified as high income economies here. We give strong preference to applicants currently living in the U.S., regardless of their citizenship. While we accept international applications, we rarely select more than one applicant living outside the U.S. on any expedition.

Learn more about applying here and click below to start the application process.